


Fragile Ones

by MontyPink



Series: Shod & The Age of Resistance [1]
Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: I know in book-canon Kylan was older when it happened but this is cuter, Other, Skekmal is mentioned in passing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25665208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MontyPink/pseuds/MontyPink
Summary: After the Hunter orphaned another childling, SkekShod's curiosity gets the better of him.
Series: Shod & The Age of Resistance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861855
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Fragile Ones

Shod looked at the bundle of fabric in the Maudra’s house. He would often sneak in to look for hidden shiny stuff. He would only borrow it.. for a few trines. There is nothing wrong with borrowing, now is there?

The bundle made a small noise when touched which startled him, most things startled him. A thing he usually hated but now his curiosity was bigger than his fear.

He narrowed his eyes and poked it with his knuckle. Shod had learned a long while ago that you shouldn’t poke smaller creatures than you with your nails. It was a mistake.. but he learned and no one struck him or yelled at him for it. Plus they made a full recovery. The gelfling were more patient than his own kind and though he would not admit it out loud. He liked them better than his fellow skeksis. 

After a few more gentle pokes the bundle of fabric started to cry. Soft at first then loudly. His memory wasn't that great but he recognised this sound easily; a childling. 

Shod cocked his head. Surely he’d noticed if the Maudra was expecting another member of her family. She had always told him. Not because he asked but because she wanted to. It always made him feel a little special, though he could never explain why. And if she didn't tell him this time.. He'd notice. Bodies changed during this period. 

He carefully reached out with a single finger and intended to pull some fabric away but something started him yet again. This time it was the Maudra, who had entered the room and was looking at the display before her. A tall frazzled Skeksis trying to grab a childling. Had she not known him this would surely be a frightening display. For a brief moment she thought of what she was supposed to do, should he request the ownership of a childling. But it was a thought she didn't entertain long. SkekShod wasn't like the others and rarely made odd requests. He mostly asked her for shiny or valuable items and permission to eat with them.

“My Lord..” Without thinking she bowed her head. It had become a reflex. When you are met with a skesis you bow. Just like her mother before her taught her and she is now teaching her children.

“M-Mera.. Please..” Shod raised a hand as to dismiss her.

“We t-talked about that…” He had sat her down right after she was anointed as Maudra. He didn’t want to be treated like the others because he wasn’t like the others. He hated the distance that was created when they referred to him as Lord or his title. A title he was given on a whim. As if he didn't know SkekLach was doing his job, except far better. He had seen it when they came to Sami Thicket. Their display of wealth and superiority. Shod never bothered to greet him and they never bothered to seek him out. At times he wondered if they even knew he had taken up residence there. And if they knew, did they care? 

He desired nothing more than to be Mera's, and by extension, the gelfling's friend. It was odd and as far as he knew he was the only one of his kind who liked their company. But perhaps his fellow skeksis had hidden depths he did not know off. He rarely spend time at the castle. Not since the incident. He can't recall his face but he remembers that horrid scepter. It all started with a simple lie; wanting to know more about their traditions and culture. It had since snowballed into so much more. He had befriended Mera's mother and her mother before her and he made sure to be on at least friendly terms with most gelflings in Sami Thicket.

“Apologies, my l- Shod.” She corrected herself. “I do not recall us having a meeting..”

There was still respect in her voice but also a bit of judgement. Friends don’t steal.. or borrow from friends without asking after all. While he never admitted to his crime it was obvious what he was doing. Shod was a lot but subtle wasn't one of them. Mera felt more relaxed around Shod than the others who occasionally came and visited but despite Shod being... Shod. He was still a skeksis. She raised a brow when he failed to say anything. 

His eyes looked around the room. “I… Noise..” was all that escaped his lips and he pointed at the fabric who had since calmed down. “C-congratulations..”

“He’s not mine.” Mera always had patience with Shod and made sure to never raise her voice but this time it escaped her. She was obviously frustrated and forgot to be careful around him. There were times when she couldn't help but laugh to herself that she was taking care of him. A person many times her age. Though she never asked how old he truly was. But she would hazard a guess at times.

“Hunter…?” Shod asked her with a fragile voice. “Ssssorry..” He apologized both for the orphaned childling's parents and his own actions. He knew the truth about the Hunter. SkekMal. Last SkekShod heard was that SkekMal had no place of residence but drifted. He hunted creatures for sport. And Gelflings were no exception. There were times Shod wondered what he did with his prey but the possibilities sickened him so it was never a thought he entertained long. 

The one golden rule amongst Skeksis was that one should never kill the other. When the rules were set in place he could not help but laugh. Was it not he who was beaten within an inch of his life for asking a simple question. At times his head still hurt and he still felt the fallout of his injuries to this day. His failing memory, his inability to recognise faces, his speech.. And this was done by SkekSo, who was a brute for sure.. but not the strongest. No that honor belonged to SkekMal. Even the thought of confronting SkekMal was scary to Shod. He would not survive an encounter with that... butcher. His mind was all over the place and he forgot were he even was. 

"The Hunter is a story we tell the childlings, stories for around the fire and bed times..”

Mera said firmly after another failed response from the skeksis in her home. “He is a myth.” There was sadness and anger in her eyes but her tone made it clear Shod shouldn’t argue. Despite the gelfing maudra being far, far younger than Shod she was a leader and mature. He couldn’t help but admire her. He felt safe with her. She felt like a family he was denied so long.

“Things die. It happens. It’s natural. Some things return to Thra faster than others. But it's the way of life.” She looked at him for a split second longer than she intended. Wondering if he was getting this at all. Death seemed unnatural for a skeksis. Never had she heard of one dying. But all things die and Shod had to learn how to deal with it. No need to keep mulling over things that he or she cannot change. 

Mera walked passed Shod and reached out her hand. The childing responded by grabbing one of her fingers and cooing.

“M-may I try.."

The pair looked at each other in silence for a few moments. They felt like eternity to Shod and he wished she would say something.. anything. He wished he hadn't made such an odd request.

Mera blinked a few times, looked at Shod then at the childling then back again.

“You really are an odd, My Lord.” No need to correct her, her words and her wink made it obvious it was meant in jest. "But I'm glad you chose to be with us."

Mera carefully grabbed the childing in his light-red fabric bundle and carefully handed it over to the skeksis. “Support the head and the body.. let him lean on you.” She instructed him like she had instructed others to take care of the youngest ones. 

She saw him light up when the childling was safe in his arms and opened his eyes to look at him. "His name is Kylan. I didn't know his parents too well but they were kind people. They lived on the edge of the woods. His mother was one of us. His father a Stonewood." Mera kept his eyes on Kylan, ready to take over but he seemed fine being held by the skeksis lord. 

They stayed like this in peaceful silence for a while, neither not knowing or caring how much time had passed. 

"We have a lot of orphaned childings these days..." She said finally, her voice a little hoarse. "We could use your help.. should you be willing." 

Shod looked up from the small Kylan and at her, like she had offered him the greatest treasure in the world. 

"I.. I-is that r-really okay?" He asked gently. 

Mera came close to him and reached out her hand, for a split moment she thought about placing it on his own but she changed her mind and stroked Kylan's hair. "The childlings like you, Shod.." I wish you would see yourself the way they do. She added as a thought. 

He looked at Kylan and wondered how anyone could hate these beings or could ever wish them harm. "I.. I'll protect t-them.." Shod looked at her.

"I'll always p-protect... all of you too. No matter what. I p-promise you that."

**Author's Note:**

> I know Kylan is slightly older in the canon when his parents were killed. I like to see him as a gentle one before everything went to hell.


End file.
